Bundeswehr quality management ensures the quality of the equipment. It is based on the NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization quality assurance requirements, the Allied Quality Assurance Publications (AQAPAllied Quality Assurance Publications), and specifies the requirements that Bundeswehr contractors need to comply with.
BAAINBwBundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr is the central government agency procuring equipment in line with Bundeswehr needs and requirements. At the same time, it is also responsible for the quality of the equipment. In order to assure the quality of the supplies and services ordered, the Bundeswehr is placing specific demands on a comprehensive quality management process to be implemented by contractors.
In its contracts with contractors, BAAINBwBundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr specifies these quality assurance requirements in detail. They serve as clearly defined working principles and exact guidelines for cooperation both for the service provider and BAAINBwBundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr as the customer. The contracts also include NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization requirements as contract elements. This allows the Bundeswehr to ensure that the systems and the technology of the armed forces in the Transatlantic Alliance are fully interoperable.
Within the scope of managing the quality of Bundeswehr orders, BAAINBwBundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr contractually agrees with its contractors on a regular basis that they shall apply all necessary elements of the quality management system to the subjects of their contracts. This includes above all the persons, assets, procedures and processes involved.
Furthermore, the Bundeswehr also obliges its contractors to maintain a quality management system which fulfills the necessary quality planning, quality guidance, quality control, quality assurance and quality improvement activities for the respective contractual item in compliance with the contractually agreed quality assurance requirements.
Depending on the quality risks identified against the backdrop of the stated quality requirements, both quality assurance requirements and the right to government quality assurance with the contractor performed by the customer, i.e. the government, (quality control in accordance with § 12 of the Conditions Concerning Contracts for Supplies and Services, Part B - VOL/BVergabe- und Vertragsordnung für Leistungen, Teil B) are agreed in the contracts.
As a general rule, the regional office of the BAAINBwBundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr Technical Quality Management Center which is responsible for the respective contractor performs the government quality assurance inspection (quality control) on site. This does not release the contractor from his responsibility of fulfilling the contractual obligations, however. In particular, the government quality assurance process is no substitute for the acceptance of the contractual item by the customer (see § 12 (1) sentence 2 of VOL/BVergabe- und Vertragsordnung für Leistungen, Teil B).
The Federation of German Security and Defence Industries (BDSVBundesverband der Deutschen Sicherheits- und Verteidigungsindustrie) provides a brochure on the topic of “quality assurance in the context of Bundeswehr procurement and development contracts” on its website.
The Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBwBundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr) was also prominently involved in drafting this brochure.
In this section, you find a list of documents related to government quality assurance for medicinal products and medical devices which the Bundeswehr as a public customer may contractually agree with its contractors.
Contractors, the customer’s employees as well as interested readers may download the documents provided below.
| Short name | Download | Version | |
|---|---|---|---|
| TS-QMA | Technical Specification: Quality Assurance Requirements for the Provision of Medicinal Products and Medical Devices to the Bundeswehr (PDF, 186.2 KB) | 2025-03-10 |
A list of the NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization requirements currently in place is available on the NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization Headquarters Intranet for account holders.
If you have a question or a feedback for the Technical Quality Management Center Directorate, please contact us via email.
